A Father's Love
by InTheCompanyOfDragons
Summary: Mackland has a talk with John Winchester about Fatherhood and Love. Oneshot. Brotherhood AU.


It took Mackland nearly a week, but with the help of Caleb's hacking skills and a few favours pulled with his friends in high places, he was finally able to track John Winchester down to a roach filled motel outside of El Paso. With Dean back on his feet and off being distracted by hunts, bars and God know what else with Caleb, that left Mackland to work on the oldest Winchester.

Mackland knocked on the door once; he figured he would be polite. But then of course, he was forced to kick it in when the idiot on the other side wouldn't answer. Of course The Knight was just sitting at the table drinking whiskey out of a coffee cup.

"They are gonna make me pay for that door y'know." John slurred. Mackland sat across from his friend and poured some whiskey into the remaining cup.

"I think that is the least you are paying for right now, isn't in John?" Mackland asked calmly. John scoffed and took another shot of whiskey.

"Where's Dean?"

"He's safe. I have him running hunts with Caleb and doing God knows what they do on their off time. I'm trying to keep his mind off of the shit show that is his life currently. You know damn well that isn't the kid I'm her to talk about."

John pushed back from the table and began to pace the room, rubbing his hand over his week old beard.

"Were you not scared Mac? When Caleb went off to college? You didn't think about the monsters out there and what would happen is they got to him?"

"Of course I did John, he's my son, I has never been more scared in my entire life. The difference is, I told the boy how scared I was instead of pulling the macho crap you did and kicking him out of the house. I never tried to hide the truth from my son. There are easier ways to show Sammy that you hate him." John looked up with a dark look in his eye.

"I don't hate him you ass. I love him… he's the baby of the family… I want him safe with us."

Mackland looked at his friend in the darkness of the motel room, trying to figure out how to get through to his friend.

"John look… I hate to tell you this, but you can't keep beating Sam and everything he stands for down and call it love. He isn't like the rest of us, he needs this."

"Yeah… and what about what Azazel comes back for him? Then what?" John said.

"John-"

"No Mac, you seem to have all the answers. What happens when he comes back for Caleb and Sam and they are off living their normal lives? What happens when we're not there to protect them?"

"We can't protect them by keeping them from living. I don't understand how you thought disowning your son was the answer!" Mackland snapped. John sat down on the bed and put his hands over his face.

"I really thought he would stay."

"Ultimatums don't work on Sam, he is like you that way."

"Sam is nothing like me…" John said.

"Yeah… you say that as much as Sam does. It doesn't make it less true. The difference is, he wishes he were a little less like you; it would make you easier to hate. You wish you had more of him in you."

John was tired. He was tired of fighting with Sam, but he knew that Sam would slam the door in his face if he showed up there. And lets face it, John wasn't exactly known for his great apologies.

"You too drunk to drive?" John asked. Mackland laughed and put the cup in his hand down on the table with a clang.

"Haven't had a sip, just knew you were more likely to open up if you thought I was drinking too."

"You think you know everything about me."

"Well closest thing to family you have besides those boys." Mackland said grabbing his keys. "Where are we headed John?"

John took one last sip of whiskey before beginning to pack his duffel bag.

"First, gotta go to California and check on Sammy, can't take the Impala cause he'll recognize it. Then, we should go meet up with Caleb and Dean… that one I can at least attempt to fix."

"Sammy won't be gone forever John, he'll come back." Mac said trying to comfort his friend. John smiled, but Mackland could see the wetness of his eyes that he could no longer control.

"No, he won't." John whispered as he walked out into the darkness. Mackland sighed and followed his friend out of the motel rooms.

"Sam has to come back…. The Brotherhood depends on it."


End file.
